Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to rewild white-tailed eagles.

The Government committed in the 25 Year Environment Plan to providing opportunities for the reintroduction of formerly native species where there are clear environment and socio-economic benefits.

Additionally, we will shortly be establishing an England Species Reintroductions Task Force to provide a collective evidence-based view on potential species for conservation translocation and reintroduction in England.

Both Forestry England and Defra have supported The Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation project to reintroduce white-tailed eagles to the Isle of Wight. By establishing a population on the south coast, it is hoped that the birds will also connect existing communities in Scotland, France, the Netherlands and Ireland, helping to secure a long-term future of the white-tailed eagle in Europe.